Getting Our Money’s Worth Coalition Members Agree on Withholding Funding until More Details Revealed
Buffalo, NY and New York, NY—This afternoon, members of the Getting Our Money’s Worth Coalition responded to State Senate Republicans refusal to fund Governor Cuomo’s proposed Regional Economic Development Councils:
Statement by Matt Ryan, Executive Director, NY Jobs with Justice/ Urban Agenda
“New York needs a coordinated, long-term strategy to create good jobs throughout the state. However, without more details on Governor Cuomo’s proposed Regional Economic Development Councils, it’s unclear whether Regional Councils would fulfill this vision, or become yet another economic development initiative that’s riddled with abuse, waste, and fails to create the good jobs New Yorkers need. The legislature should work on exposing and curbing subsidy abuses —and saving taxpayer money— by implementing strict performance standards, accountability and transparency measures into current and future economic development programs.”
Statement by Allison Duwe, Executive Director, Coalition for Economic Justice
“Although heartened by Governor Cuomo’s desire to take economic development in a new direction in New York State and bring an end to corporate welfare, the Senate Republicans are right to point out that too few details have yet been worked out regarding how Regional Economic Development Councils would work and what standards would guide them. Funding Regional Councils without doing the detail work to make sure they don’t fail our communities the way the state’s major economic development programs like IDAs and Empire Zones have for decades would be putting the cart before the horse.”
“Our Coalition likely has a very different set of views of how Regional Councils should be shaped than the Senate Republicans, but we look forward to dialogue with all who are looking to get New Yorkers back to work. We believe there is strong logic to support a hold on funding the REDCs until more details can be worked out with a broad range of community and labor stakeholders, not just business executives.”
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The Getting Our Money’s Worth Coalition is a broad coalition of public policy experts, government watchdogs, labor unions, community and religious organizations, and concerned small business owners, workers and taxpayers. The statewide coalition is anchored by New York Jobs with Justice and the Coalition for Economic Justice